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    Grants

    There are many grants and funding opportunities available that can help your club or community group. Go Clubs is here to assist in ensuring your club or community group is grant ready and to identify and apply for the right grant.

    Grants can be used to fund a wide variety of items, including:

    • Community events/programs
    • Equipment
    • Facility improvements
    • Organisation/volunteer development, leadership and governance training
    • Participation initiatives
    • Travel for competitions/performances
    • Workshops/conferences

    The key to winning grant funding is to be proactive and grant-ready! 

    It is a good idea to have a prioritised list of projects (facility upgrades, events, programs etc) scoped, priced and (where applicable) approved in preparation for potential grant opportunities.

    It is also important that your club has the right people in the right roles to assist with scoping projects and preparation of grant applications. It is recommended that your club have people responsible for fundraising/grant coordination ( PDF, 0.17 MB ) and facilities/project management. ( PDF, 0.14 MB ) These people will be critical to scoping projects and developing/ submitting grant applications.

    View the 'Be Grant Ready ( PDF, 0.23 MB )' factsheet to help your club prepare for when funding opportunities appear.

    Once a prioritised list of projects has been developed and scoped, it is time to identify the correct funding stream. With grant opportunities available all year round, numerous grants may be open at any particular time. Check out 'Find a Grant' (below) for various opportunities. It is essential to:

    • Read the grant objectives to ensure they align with your project.
    • Read the eligibility criteria to ensure your organisation is eligible.

    Once your project is grant ready, completing a grant application should not be a time-consuming exercise, given the content has already been collated.

    Despite this, writing the application is the key to winning grant funding. Most grant bodies will determine the successful applicants based on their responses to the grant application questions. The following tips will help you prepare a successful grant application:

    Plan ahead

    Read through the grant thoroughly and ensure you have everything you need to address all aspects of the application. Rally the troops within your club to make use of the experience and knowledge of those around you so the most informed answers can be given.

    Know your audience

    Take the time to understand what the grant provider is trying to achieve and what important information they are looking for and then tailor your application to meet their needs. To obtain this information:

    • Read the grant in detail.
    • Call the grant body to introduce yourself and your club and get answers to any questions you may have about the grant.
    Include all requested information

    Generally, the first thing a grant provider will do is check that an application is eligible. If a key piece of supporting documentation is missing from the application, that application may be immediately regarded as ineligible. Don’t do all the work to leave out key documents/information. It is good practice to ensure your application is submitted before the closing date and then call the provider to ensure all required documentation has been received. If not, you have time to address it.

    Answer the questions

    Grant applications will always ask direct questions and therefore are seeking direct answers. Read the questions carefully and ensure you are answering the question asked in as much detail as possible without getting off-topic. The answers to these questions will ultimately decide the strength of your grant application – so be thorough.

    Tell your story

    Focus more on solutions than problems when writing your grant application. A real person will read your proposal, so you want to instil positive emotions. Your project must be easily understood by someone not familiar with your club. Where possible, support answers with evidence, research and documentation. Use data that is specific, relevant and recent.

    Proofread

    Once your application is ready for submission, sit down with key people within your club and proofread the application. Many grant applications will have a checklist, so ensure you have ticked off all the boxes.

    Go Clubs has developed a 'Grant Writing ( PDF, 0.2 MB )' factsheet to assist your club.

    The following resources also provide helpful information for preparing grant applications:

    We have compiled a list of grant databases below to help assist you in finding the right application to help your club or organisation grow.